Six editions since 2018, six different winners. Singapore doesn’t do repeats unless they’re on the replay screen. This time, Russell owned the night, managing tyres, traffic and temperature with poise.

Behind him, Max Verstappen wrestled a difficult Red Bull into second, while Lando Norris bagged third for McLaren. Championship leader Oscar Piastri shadowed home in fourth, a papaya double that had significance tonight. McLaren clinched the Constructors’ Championship, back-to-back, needing only 13 points and collecting far more. Somewhere in Woking, the lights won’t be going off anytime soon.

How the race was won

Does Singapore still reward the front-row bully? On evidence, yes. Russell’s start was neat rather than nuclear, exactly what you want on a night when the track will happily punish enthusiasm. Once he cleared Turn 1, the job became part thermodynamics, part tempo. Manage the 4.927km rhythm, keep the fronts alive for rotation, and don’t get greedy with the kerbs. He played it like a metronome.

For those counting, this was the 11th win from pole in 16 renditions of the Singapore Grand Prix. Overtaking remains a contact sport with concrete, and the driver who controls the first stint usually controls the story.

McLaren’s night of numbers

Yes, the race winner wore silver, but the trophy engraver for the big one will be etching McLaren. The papaya pair finished P3 and P4, enough to slam the door on the Constructors’ with six rounds to spare. It’s their 10th title, and it feels earned the old-fashioned way.

Russell remains fourth in the Drivers’ standings on 212 points, chasing the McLaren duo  Piastri (324) and Norris (299)  with Verstappen (255) lodged between them and Mercedes’ spearhead.

Six races remain, beginning with the United States Grand Prix on 19 October in Texas.

Two years ago, Russell left here with the sort of last-lap ache that wakes you at 3am. Tonight, he left with the chequered flag and a neat line under the ledger.

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The FIA’s F1 Technical Delegate, Jo Bauer, noted: “The uppermost rear wing element adjustable positions were checked on car numbers 23 (Albon) and 55 (Sainz). Both cars exceeded the maximum limit of 85mm on both sides of the rear wing outer area.”

That runs headlong into Article 3.10.10 (g) of the Technical Regulations, which governs the Drag Reduction System: when DRS is deployed, the gap between the two rear-wing profiles must be between 9.4mm and 85mm along the span.

As per protocol, the stewards confirmed disqualification for both drivers. Their summary was blunt:

• The DRS gap exceeded 85mm on both sides when measured by FIA officials.
• Williams admitted their own pre-qualifying checks had shown the assembly within tolerance, but did not challenge the FIA’s procedure, methodology, or equipment.
• With the part non-compliant, the standard penalty for a technical infringement applies.

“Bitterly disappointing”: Williams’ response

Team Principal James Vowles cut to the chase: “During FIA scrutineering after Qualifying, the rear wings on both our cars failed DRS slot gap checks. As a result, Alex and Carlos have been disqualified from Qualifying for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. This is bitterly disappointing for the team, and we are urgently investigating how this happened. At no point were we seeking a performance advantage, and the rear wings had passed our own checks earlier in the day, but there is only one measurement that matters, and we fully accept the FIA ruling. We have a car capable of scoring points here this weekend and will do everything we can to fight from the back of the grid tomorrow, and will immediately review our processes to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

Why is an extra millimetre or two such a fuss? With DRS open, a wider slot gap can reduce drag more than allowed, buying a little extra top speed. The rules cap that gap at 85mm so everyone’s “push-to-pass” stays within the same aerodynamic envelope.

What it means for Sunday

Both Williams will be relegated to the back, which scrambles undercut maths and punctures a few strategy decks. Can Williams still nick points? On a track where track position is king and the Safety Car is a frequent guest star, anything can happen.

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When it mattered, Russell threaded the Marina Bay needle, fending off Max Verstappen (second, +0.182s) and McLaren’s points leader Oscar Piastri (third, +0.366s). Team-mate Kimi Antonelli slotted into P4, with Lando Norris P5. Ferrari locked out P6–P7 via Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

From bruised to bullish

FP2 brought the first red flag when Russell’s W16 nudged the Turn 16 barrier. Not exactly the confidence primer. But qualifying is its own theatre, and Russell owned the final act.

“I’m a very different driver today than I was a couple of years ago,” he said after qualifying. “Yesterday was my first crash in over a year on a street circuit, you’ve only got to have a 1 per cent lapse of concentration. My mistake two years ago was five centimetres, but the consequence was massive.”

The front-row foil and the papaya puzzle

Verstappen sounded content rather than combative: “So far, this weekend has again been a very solid one. No major trouble, we were always kind of there. Very, very promising.”

Piastri, for his part, judged it cleanly: “Ultimately, I don’t think the car had enough in it for pole, so I’m pretty happy with the job I’ve done. Was it perfect? No, but close to the limit of what the car’s been able to do.”

McLaren still holds the constructors’ ace. The papaya squad can seal back-to-back titles on 5 October with any one of several outcomes; a single podium would do it, or simply ensuring Mercedes don’t outscore them by 31 and Ferrari don’t gain 35.

Heat, hardware and headspace

This is also the first F1 weekend run under an official “heat hazard” designation, permitting cooling vests on the grid and during suspensions. Don’t fancy the vest? You’ll carry 0.5kg of ballast so there’s no weight-saving edge.

“Of course, I’m in the best place to start. There’s a good pole-side advantage here, so I’d like to think I can hold the lead into Turn 1. But obviously this guy on my left (Verstappen) is pretty good at race starts, so I will have to keep an eye,” Russell added.

Win tomorrow and he becomes the sixth different Singapore winner in six editions since 2018.

Garage headaches

Not everything was neat and papaya. Williams suffered a double disqualification from qualifying after both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz breached the rear-wing outer area height limit (85mm) on both sides in post-session checks.

With seven races to go, including Singapore, Piastri leads on 324 points, Norris sits second on 299, Verstappen third on 255, and Russell fourth with 212. With Verstappen ahead of both McLarens on the grid, Sunday could deliver a twist worthy of the skyline.

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Fernando Alonso had set the tone in FP1 with a 1:31.116. Come FP2, it was Piastri who found the sweet spot when it mattered.

At 21:00 local, Nico Hülkenberg hustled the pack out into slightly cooler night air. Alex Albon, sidelined by a rear-brake hardware gremlin in FP1, was clearly eager to put miles under him.

Red Flag #1: Russell brushes the wall

A few minutes later, George Russell discovered that Turn 16 still bites. One glance, one snap, and the W16 was nursing a broken nose. “That was weird,” came the radio understatement of the night as the red flag was waved.

Quali sims and Red Flag #2

With just over half an hour to go, the circus restarted and the softs came out for qualifying simulations. Lewis Hamilton and Leclerc stayed on mediums, while Esteban Ocon briefly rose to the top with a 1:31.480 for Haas.

A kiss of the wall on exit Turn 17 resulted in Liam Lawson and his Racing Bull rolling to a halt at the pit entry, cueing the second red flag of the day.

Pit-lane pinball: Leclerc vs Norris

As the session was announced to resume, we got the night’s eyebrow-raiser. Leclerc emerged alongside Norris in the pit lane, the Ferrari’s release leaving the McLaren squeezed into the wall.

Norris was wheeled back in for a new front wing. The stewards subsequently issued a €10,000 fine for Ferrari for unsafe release.

The final dash: Papaya to the top

When the track fell green again, everyone hustled to make up lost time. In the closing five minutes, Piastri lit the board with a 1:30.714, nudging Max Verstappen off the summit. Isack Hadjar then split them, sliding his Racing Bulls into P2, just 0.132s back, as the majority ran the soft.

Alonso banked P4 in another tidy showing for Aston Martin, with Lance Stroll close by in P5. Norris, annoyed with himself on the radio, still wedged himself between the green cars.

Behind them, Ocon took P7; Williams’ Carlos Sainz and the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton rounded out the top ten

Just outside, Yuki Tsunoda (P11) headed Ollie Bearman (P12), Albon (P13), Hülkenberg (P14) and Bortoleto (P15). Pierre Gasly was P16 for Alpine, with Lawson, Antonelli, Franco Colapinto and Russell completing the order from P17 to P20.

FP3 fires up at 17:30 local, with Qualifying at 21:00 on Saturday, a familiar Marina Bay two-step that rewards those who can thread the needle when the walls are a handshake away.

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Race director Rui Marques spelt it out in a Thursday bulletin to the teams: when the forecast Heat Index tops 31°C, the protocol kicks in. Drivers are permitted to wear cooling vests on the grid and during any race suspension.

“Having received a forecast from the official Weather Service predicting that the Heat Index will be greater than 31°C at some time during the race. Thus, a Heat Hazard is declared,” said Marques.

Singapore’s bumpy, stop-start street circuit is infamous: high humidity, thick tropical air, concrete canyons that trap heat. Drivers routinely shed up to 3kg over a full-length night race.

What’s a cooling vest, exactly?

The cooling vest is laced with coolant tubes, fed by pumps and a heat exchanger. In testing, some drivers grumbled about comfort; space is at a premium in a modern F1 cockpit, and anything that adds bulk feels uncomfortable. Still, when the mercury climbs, cold fluid buys you clarity.

Crucially, the FIA isn’t forcing anyone to wear one. But whether a team opts in or out, every car must be fitted with the requisite hardware so the vests can be used. Elect not to wear the vest? You’ll need to carry an extra 0.5kg of ballast to avoid gaining a weight advantage.

Lessons from a hot night in Qatar

The FIA pushed it forward after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, where several drivers needed medical attention for heat-related symptoms.

George Russell gave the vest an early shakedown at this year’s Bahrain Grand Prix and, characteristically, called it as he felt it: “Of course there’s always room to improve,” the Mercedes driver said. “I wanted to give it a whirl. So far, so good.”

Does a cooling vest make a driver faster? Not directly. It keeps them sharper for longer, which at the Singapore Grand Prix is often the same thing. The heat-hazard call doesn’t blunt the spectacle, but rather modernises it.

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With fans filling every inch of the revamped circuit (thanks to last year’s redevelopment of the Bay Grandstand) this year’s attendance hit a record high.

On track, Lando Norris secured his first-ever Singapore win, and his third win this season thus far. Defending champion Max Verstappen’s Red Bull took the runner up position, followed by the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.

Oscar Piastri, who started fifth, fought his way to third, ensuring a double podium for McLaren. This, combined with a lacklustre finish for Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, meant McLaren extended their lead over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings.

Beyond the adrenaline on the track, the weekend has been a sensory overload for fans. 

Tens of thousands soaked up performances by top global acts like OneRepublic, Kylie Minogue, Disclosure (DJ), Thirty Seconds to Mars, The Corrs, Kool & The Gang, HONNE, BABYMONSTER, Lenny Kravitz and Tones & I.

And if you’re already thinking ahead to next year, the Super Early Bird (SEB) tickets for 2025, which dropped just two days ago, have already sold out. Unsurprisingly, in record time.

Missed your chance? Don’t worry. More tickets in select categories will be available under the Early Bird phase starting 1 October at www.singaporegp.sg. If the Singapore Grand Prix 2024 is anything to go by, next year’s race will be equally as exciting.

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Australian pop icon Kylie Minogue will be giving fans a double treat with an additional performance too. So, what does this mean for fans? More than 100 hours of entertainment spread across three unforgettable days.

We’ve already got OneRepublic, Lenny Kravitz, Disclosure (DJ), The Corrs, Kool & the Gang, Tones & I, BABYMONSTER, HONNE and others gracing the stages. So prepare for an exciting lineup when the Formula 1 circus rolls into town.

Friday night kicks off with alternative rock duo Thirty Seconds to Mars at the Wharf Stage in Zone 1. Anthemic hits like From Yesterday and Kings and Queens are sure to get the crowd roaring. 

If you miss them on Friday, don’t fret. They’ll be lighting up the Padang Stage just before the F1 race on Sunday, 22 September. 

Due to overwhelming demand, Kylie Minogue will be belting out her classics on Sunday, 22 September, at the Wharf Stage in Zone 1, in addition to her Saturday night set at the Padang Stage. Expect glitter, hits, and a whole lot of nostalgia.

Finally, we have Voice Of Baceprot, the hijab-wearing heavy metal trio hailing from Indonesia. This all-female band will bring their trailblazing energy to the Downtown Stage on Friday, 20 September.

If you haven’t secured your spot yet for the Singapore Grand Prix 2024, move quickly. Three-day general tickets are completely sold out, but single-day passes are still available.

Limited hospitality packages are also up for grabs in select categories. Head over to www.singaporegp.sg to grab yours. 

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